


come back, be here

by lesmiserablol



Series: Zukka Week 2021 [6]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: 5+1 Things, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, M/M, Mutual Pining, Post-Canon, Post-War, Southern Water Tribe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-18
Updated: 2021-03-18
Packaged: 2021-03-27 19:00:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30127368
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lesmiserablol/pseuds/lesmiserablol
Summary: Zuko smiles apologetically at Sokka. “I need to get back home.”“Okay,” Sokka nods, covering his disappointment with a grin. “But you’ll come back and visit soon, yeah?”“Of course I will,” Zuko promises quickly.(or, five times Zuko visits the Southern Water Tribe, and one time Sokka asks him to stay)
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Series: Zukka Week 2021 [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2211507
Comments: 33
Kudos: 235





	come back, be here

**Author's Note:**

> Happy day five of Zukka week! This is for the 5+1 prompt!

**1**

“Zuko!” 

Sokka’s hug is so powerful, it takes everything in Zuko to not lose his footing on the snow and bring them both down. He grins against Sokka’s shoulder, finding that his best friend is mirroring his wide smile when they pull back.

“Hey Sokka,” he laughs. “Good to see you.”

“You too, buddy!” Sokka says. “It’s about time you showed up around here. You just couldn’t survive without me, could you?” 

Zuko rolls his eyes. “Of course, it has nothing to do with your dad’s wedding or anything.”

“Sure,” Sokka teases. “You just wanted an excuse to see me again.”

Zuko rolls his eyes. “Keep telling yourself that. Where are Bato and Hakoda?”

“Who knows, there’s a lot to do. Come on, these snacks aren’t going to sample themselves.” Sokka leads the way, giving Zuko no choice but to follow with a shake of his head and a small smile. Two of his personal guards step forward and Zuko dismisses them with a wave of his hand.

“I’ll see you at the ceremony,” he tells them, enjoying the freedom once they disappear from sight. He can pretend he’s just like any normal guy in his twenties, not a care in the world as he laughs with his friend for the first time in what feels like ages.

Zuko has to wait to try the food when they run into Toph and Katara on the way and exchange greetings (and complaints, from Toph who has never worn this many layers in her life). Zuko uses his firebending to warm himself up and Toph immediately attaches herself to his side, enjoying the heat rolling off of him.

The ceremony itself is beautiful, and Zuko pretends not to notice Sokka cry and also pretends that he doesn’t tear up himself as Bato and Hakoda exchange vows. It’s the first wedding he’s ever attended in the Water Tribe, and he immediately prefers it to the extravagant, over the top celebrations at Caldera. This wedding focuses on the love between the couple, it highlights the traditions of the tribe, and it's centered on family. It’s everything Zuko thinks a wedding should be.

He’s so lost in the celebrations afterward that he’s taken by surprise when one of his guards asks if he would like them to prepare the air balloon. 

“You’re not leaving already, are you?” Sokka asks, frowning.

“I…” Zuko starts. The truth is, he hadn’t expected to stay any longer than the wedding, but that sounds foolish, now. He wishes he had talked to Sokka about this sooner so he could plan to stay for the rest of the week, spending time with his friends and taking a break from everything that being next in line to the throne consists of. But no, Iroh would be expecting him to return home soon, and Zuko wants to be there for him. 

He smiles apologetically at Sokka. “I need to get back home.”

“Okay,” Sokka nods, covering his disappointment with a grin. “But you’ll come back and visit soon, yeah?”

“Of course I will,” Zuko promises quickly, excitement building at the thought. Sure, he had missed his friends, but he assumed they were too busy for him these days. Hearing Sokka’s invitation to come back soon makes him relax, and he smiles for most of the trip back home. 

**2**

“He’s so...tiny,” Zuko says eventually, squinting at Bumi’s face, the only part of him visible with all the layers wrapped tightly around him.

Sokka snorts at his side. “Well, yeah, he’s a baby.”

Zuko stares. “How long is he going to be this tiny for?”

“You really haven’t been around many kids, have you?” Sokka asks, amused. When Zuko shakes his head, Sokka adds, “Do you want kids of your own?” 

Zuko hesitates. “I don’t know,” he answers honestly. “I’ve thought about it...maybe. I have a lot to figure out first.”

Sokka nods. “Well, best part about being an uncle? You get to play with the little monsters and get all the awesome moments with them, then as soon as they get cranky or need a new diaper or something, you can hand them back to their parents.”

Zuko laughs. “That does sound pretty nice. I’m sure you’ll be his favorite uncle.”

“Who knows, I’m sure you’ll be a promising contender,” Sokka says.

Zuko looks up at him, surprised. “Me?”

“Of course, man. You’re family. You’re like his honorary uncle, you know?”

Zuko smiles and nods like Sokka hasn’t just set off dozens of internal fireworks inside Zuko’s brain. “Uncle Zuko,” he says, trying out the name, then he makes a face. “That makes me sound old.”

“25 years is a long time to be alive, old man.”

“Be quiet. You’re hardly younger than me.”

“I’m just saying! Before you know it, you’ll be a grandpa!”

Zuko rolls his eyes and turns back to Bumi. “Please tell me you won’t take after your Uncle. Please be normal.”

Sokka’s jaw drops and as he starts retaliating, Zuko looks up and catches Katara watching the three of them with an amused smile on her face.

As they say their goodbyes this time, Sokka adds, “Come back soon, yeah? I’m afraid you’ll miss me too much if you don’t.”

“Of course I’ll be back soon,” Zuko says seriously. “Now that Bumi is here, it’ll be nice to have someone to visit all the time.”

Sokka punches his arm lightly while Zuko laughs. “Hey! Ouch, that was low.”

Zuko’s laughter dies off. “Come on, you know I’m here to see you.”

**3**

Zuko has been waiting, buzzing with anticipation, and it takes everything in him not to jump out with the others when Katara brings Sokka into the room and their friends and family all greet him with loud wishes of “happy birthday!” 

Their mission was a success, Sokka is clearly surprised. There’s the sound of him greeting and giving hugs to some of them, and Zuko can hear the smile in his voice as he thanks everyone for the best party ever. 

“I assume there’s cake around here somewhere?” he asks pointedly, and Katara snorts.

“Well, yes, but first, we have one more surprise for you.”

That’s his cue. Zuko steps out and into view. Sokka’s eyes snap to his and Zuko watches as his confused expression breaks out into one of the widest smiles he’s seen from him. 

“Hey you!” he says, and Zuko meets him halfway for a bone-crushing hug. He doesn’t dare complain or pull away, though, savoring the feeling of Sokka’s arms around him.

“Hey,” Zuko says softly into his ear. “Happy birthday.”

“I can’t believe you came!” Sokka says, still looking ecstatic as he pulls away, holding Zuko’s arms as he looks him up and down. “Wow, look how much you’ve grown.”

Zuko rolls his eyes and shoves him playfully. “It’s been six months, Sokka.”

“Yeah, that’s a long time in Sokka time,” Sokka tells him matter of factly. “Man, it’s so good to see you.”

Zuko has “it’s good to see you, too” on the tip of his tongue, but it dies somewhere in his throat as he makes eye contact with Sokka. He’s taken by surprise at the look of joy on his face as he keeps smiling at Zuko, and Zuko has two realizations at once.

One: Sokka is beautiful.

Two: Zuko is the reason he is smiling like that. And Zuko would like to be the reason behind that smile more often.

It only takes a few moments to recover from these realizations before he manages to say, “You too.” 

**4**

“Has it really been twelve years?” Sokka muses out loud. 

Zuko can hardly believe it himself. He stares at the starry night sky above them, basking in, well, everything about this moment: the view, the feel of Sokka next to him, the quiet of the night. As fun as it had been to celebrate the anniversary of the end of the war with the rest of the tribe, he prefers being alone with Sokka to any celebration. He prefers being alone with Sokka to almost anything.

“Twelve years,” Zuko echoes, letting out a long exhale. “It feels like yesterday and a million years ago at the same time.”

“That’s what old people say,” Sokka teases. “But you’re right. I wish 15 year old Sokka could see me now: no war to worry about, knowing the tribe is protected and well off, relaxing with the Fire Lord himself…”

Zuko rolls his eyes even though Sokka can’t see it. “No such thing as a Fire Lord anymore.”

“Semantics. Here I was thinking you abolished the monarchy so you would have more time to see me, and this is only the third visit all year!”

“First of all, ‘all year’ is just a few months. Second of all, it’s definitely an improvement compared to when I did wear the crown,” Zuko reminds him.

“Hmm, do better,” is all Sokka has to say to that, his tone soft. “You keep making it harder and harder to say goodbye.”

And as Zuko turns his head, finding Sokka already staring at him, he finds it harder and harder to want to say goodbye.

**5**

“Weren’t you just there two weeks ago?” Azula asks, raising an eyebrow.

The truth is, yes, he hasn’t been back from the Southern Water Tribe for very long. But the longer truth is that two weeks felt like it was too long to be away from Sokka, and he has spent every day since then debating if it was too soon to go back.

The version that his sister gets is, “Maybe.”

She rolls her eyes, turning her attention back to the game of Pai Sho.

“Allow me to pack you some tea to bring with you,” Iroh says from across from her. 

They’re in his apartment above the Jasmine Dragon, enjoying a lazy afternoon together. For Zuko, this means hiding away from the stares of the Earth Kingdom citizens as he tries to adjust to life after the crown. For Iroh and Azula, this means playing Pai Sho until they can’t stop yawning.

Zuko smiles at his Uncle. He loves living in Ba Sing Se and seeing his Uncle so often, and he loves that every time Zuko casually mentions traveling, Iroh just smiles and wishes him a safe journey. 

Azula isn’t so easy. 

She narrows her eyes. “You remember our promise?”

Zuko feels his cheeks redden, worsening when Iroh looks at him curiously, but when it becomes clear that Azula isn’t going to table this for another time, he grits his teeth and mutters, “Yes, you will be the first person I tell if I start dating Sokka.”

Iroh politely covers his laugh of surprise with a cough and Azula leans back, looking satisfied. “Good,” she says. “Just checking, given the number of romantic getaways you’ve taken lately. I was getting suspicious.”

Zuko sighs loudly. “Don’t get your hopes up, Azula. For all I know, he doesn’t want to see me so soon.” 

This doubt is forgotten completely when the air balloon lands four days later, his best friend waiting for him on the snow below. 

Sokka is smirking. “So what’s your excuse for coming by this time? Some party I didn’t know about? Did Katara have another child and not tell me about it? I wouldn’t put it past her.”

“No excuses,” Zuko tells him. “I’m just here because I missed you.”

Sokka blinks at him, looking surprised for a moment before he grins widely and pulls Zuko into a hug.

“I missed you too,” he confesses.

**+1**

“Thank you, as always, for your hospitality, Chief Hakoda,” Zuko says, gripping his forearm to say goodbye a week later.

“It’s always a pleasure, Lord Zuko,” Hakoda says pointedly, and Zuko smiles sheepishly. 

“Right. Hakoda. Just Hakoda. I’ll see you in the future,” Zuko says. 

“With how often you keep showing up, I don’t know why you bother leaving anymore,” Hakoda jokes. 

Zuko is taken aback for a moment, but he covers with a smile and turns to Sokka, and the two of them walk out of the igloo into the cold air. Sokka automatically drifts closer to Zuko’s side, for the heat or the company, Zuko isn’t sure. 

Sokka’s quiet for a few moments and Zuko is about to ask him what’s wrong when he says, “He’s got a point.”

“What? Who does?” Zuko asks.

“My dad. I don’t know why you have to leave, you always find a reason to show up again sooner or later.”

“Yeah, well, it would be easier if my reason didn’t make me miss him so much while I was gone,” Zuko says softly.

Sokka stops walking and he does too, turning to face him. There’s an unreadable look on Sokka’s face, which is unusual, considering the ability Zuko usually has to know exactly what he’s thinking, but after a few moments Sokka’s expression becomes more resolved. 

“Then don’t go.”

Zuko blinks. “What? I...I can’t just stay here, Sokka.”

“Why not?” Sokka says immediately. He takes a step forward and after a moment, grabs both of Zuko’s hands. 

“I…” Zuko trails off, finding himself at a loss. He takes a deep breath. “How about you give me a reason to stay?”

Sokka takes his invitation for what it is, and he barely has to tug on Zuko’s hands to pull him forward before he captures his lips in a kiss that seems to take away the feeling of the freezing temperature around them and fill his whole body with a warmth much different and more powerful than his inner flame.

Sokka pulls away and Zuko slowly blinks his eyes open, rooted to the spot. His lips are still tingling, and when Sokka smiles, he smiles too.

Zuko figured out long ago that he has a hard time saying no to Sokka, regardless of whether or not he pulls out the polar puppy dog eyes. Now he’s just staring at Zuko, eyes wide and vulnerable, looking anxious but also hopeful, and Zuko wonders how he could ever have a different answer. 

“Okay,” he says, watching as Sokka’s entire face lights up. “Okay. I’ll stay.”

**Author's Note:**

> zuko after five more minutes of kissing: i need to write a letter to azula right this second
> 
> [tumblr](https://bisexuallsokka.tumblr.com/)!


End file.
